Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
Mr. Local History is about bringing America’s past into the present through the stories of real places, real people, and real communities. Focused especially on New Jersey, the project celebrates local history in a way that feels personal, engaging, and relevant not something locked away in textbooks, but history that lives where we live. As we head into 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, Mr. Local History is turning history into a shared experience. With a social twist, this is about connecting online and in the community, sharing memories, spotlighting hometown stories, and honoring New Jersey’s outsized role in America’s founding. It is history you can explore, share, and be part of together.
On This Day in America250 History: February 8
- 1693: The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, the second-oldest institution of higher education in the Thirteen Colonies, is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.
- 1778: Pluckemin, New Jersey. Continental Army artillery cantonment during the Revolutionary War, associated with Henry Knox and American artillery training and logistics.
- 1779: Morristown winter encampment in New Jersey. Washingtons army endured a severe winter, associated with Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Baron von Steuben.
- 1837: Richard Johnson becomes the first and only Vice President of the United States chosen by the Senate.
- 1865: Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, delaying the criminalization of slavery until the amendment's national adoption on December 6, 1865. The amendment is ultimately ratified by Delaware on February 12, 1901, the 92nd anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.
- 1887: The Dawes Act is enacted, authorizing the U.S. President to divide Native American tribal land into individual allotments.
- 1924: The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber takes place in Nevada.
- 2013: A blizzard kills at least 18 and leaves hundreds of thousands of people without electricity in the northeastern United States and parts of Canada.
Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
- The Rocket – Ice Yacht Legend Reborn Now on the Navasink
Views: 9 In 1888, a fast and ambitious ice yacht named Rocket was built to race on the frozen reaches of the Navesink River at Red Bank, New Jersey. At a time when ice boating was one of winter’s great spectator sports, Rocket represented the peak of late 19th century ice yacht design. Long, narrow… Read More »The Rocket – Ice Yacht Legend Reborn Now on the Navasink - New Jersey’s Historic Olympians List – Who Will Shine in 2026?
Views: 3,043 Going to the Olympics as a participant is a great accomplishment. Winning an Olympic medal is the pinnacle to some. With the 2026 Winter Olympics underway, who from New Jersey is going, and who has a chance to win or place? We also started thinking: Who are some of the greatest Olympians who… Read More »New Jersey’s Historic Olympians List – Who Will Shine in 2026? - New Jersey’s Oldest Yacht Club is RYC
Views: 30 DISCLAIMER:Although both the Raritan Yacht Club in Perth Amboy and the Riverton Yacht Club on the opposite side of New Jersey were founded in 1865, published sources currently give Riverton Yacht Club the bragging rights as the state’s oldest, leaving Raritan holding the very dignified title of historic number 2. The New Jersey… Read More »New Jersey’s Oldest Yacht Club is RYC - Sailing New Jersey- Yacht Clubs-Trophies- History
Views: 53 From early shore and lake recreation to organized racing, the culture of sailboats in New Jersey grew out of everyday life on the water. While formal club racing began with the New York Yacht Club in Hoboken with John Cox Stevens, yachting history was forever linked to Hoboken. Stevens helped turn informal boat… Read More »Sailing New Jersey- Yacht Clubs-Trophies- History - The New York Yacht Club Actually Started in New Jersey
Views: 45 If you asked most American sailors to name the single most recognized burgee in the country, the answer is almost always the burgee of the New York Yacht Club. That recognition comes straight out of history. Founded in 1844, the New York Yacht Club became the dominant institution in American sailing during the… Read More »The New York Yacht Club Actually Started in New Jersey - The America’s Cup and a New Jersey Angle
Views: 61 If you asked most American sailors to name the single most recognized burgee in the country, the answer is almost always the burgee of the New York Yacht Club. That recognition comes straight out of history. Founded in 1844, the New York Yacht Club became the dominant institution in American sailing during the… Read More »The America’s Cup and a New Jersey Angle - New Jersey Iceboating Legends
Views: 121 “It’s time \the Garden State Honors the Legends of New Jersey Iceboating.” Based on numerous interviews and research about the history of New Jersey iceboating, we hope that our New Jersey Legends of Iceboating list of members of the iceboating community is a solid representation of the history of the sport in the… Read More »New Jersey Iceboating Legends - Iceboats Flock to New Jersey Ice Again – Historic Winter Times
Views: 2,435 How exciting to announce that the cold is back and there’s ice on our lakes, rivers, and bays across New Jersey. In fact it’s so cold, we have to pray to the snow gods to slow down the delug just a bit so the iceboats can get back on the ice. First –… Read More »Iceboats Flock to New Jersey Ice Again – Historic Winter Times - Podcast Corner: Honoring Jersey & American History for the 250th Anniversary
Views: 167 America’s 250th anniversary is not something that is coming soon. It is already underway. Across the country and here in New Jersey, America 250 and NJ250 programs have begun the long, multi year commemoration leading to 2026, inviting the public to engage with the nation’s history now rather than waiting for a single… Read More »Podcast Corner: Honoring Jersey & American History for the 250th Anniversary - Jersey Food, Iconic Places, All Jersey
Views: 179 The Best of the Best We Don’t Kow Why – But We Keep Finding Great Jersey Food Stories To Write About Create PDF - Westfield Builds a Lego Town to Celebrate America 250
Views: 360 On January 24, Westfield, New Jersey hosted a special America250 edition of its popular community program Build Westfield in LEGO, bringing families and residents together for a creative celebration of local and national history. Held at Westfield High School, the event invites families to use over 100,000 LEGO bricks and historic reference images… Read More »Westfield Builds a Lego Town to Celebrate America 250 - Weird Facts about The Liberty Bell
Views: 564 In the mid-1700s Philadelphia wanted a bell with a voice strong enough to call people together. When the Liberty Bell first rang it was loud enough to turn heads across the city. Imagine a quieter world no engines no sirens no constant hum. When that bell was struck its sound cut cleanly through… Read More »Weird Facts about The Liberty Bell - Where IS the Declaration of Independence? Where it Should Be
Views: 262 A Memory of a Class Field Trip to Philadephia We love Jersey history, but Philly is right next door. In 2026, the United States marks 250 years since independence was declared. That declaration did not happen in a museum or a vault. It happened in Philadelphia. The Declaration of Independence belongs in Philadelphia… Read More »Where IS the Declaration of Independence? Where it Should Be - Mr. Local History Research That Surprised Even Us
Views: 333 For 5 years and more than 650 posts, Mr Local History has been telling the stories of Basking Ridge, the Somerset Hills, Somerset County, and eventually communities across New Jersey. What started local grew wider, but the goal stayed the same to uncover, document, and share the history hiding in plain sight. As… Read More »Mr. Local History Research That Surprised Even Us - Droning History Over New Jersey
Views: 893 Chasing Jersey History – Droning over the Years Full list of towns, sites, and date at the end of this post. NEWS: Our Drone Took a Hard Fall / Help MLH Get Back in the Air We are sad to share that our aerial history photography program has hit an unexpected setback. While… Read More »Droning History Over New Jersey - Bernards Township History: The Asian Origins Initiative
Views: 6,118 UPDATE: January 19, 2026 A few researchers at the Mr. Local History Project are looking for a few Chinese and Indian residents interested in tracing the roots of these two growing communities in Bernards Township to the first families to become Basking Ridge residents. Strong ties to the local community will be important.… Read More »Bernards Township History: The Asian Origins Initiative - Basking Ridge’s “Rushmore 5” Ladies Honored
Views: 1,916 MLH Mini-Series: The Basking Ridge Rushmore 5 Female Edition Now It’s the Ladies Turn…The Basking Ridge Ladies Rushmore 5 Okay, so I live in Basking Ridge, which is part of Bernards Township, but we all refer to it as Basking Ridge, right? Now, I believe that history has to be over a hundred… Read More »Basking Ridge’s “Rushmore 5” Ladies Honored - The Paula Grossman Story – 50+ Years Later Forever in Basking Ridge History
Views: 2,179 Paula Grossman’s dismissal from the Bernards Township school system in the early 1970s is widely regarded as one of the first public cases of transgender discrimination in American public employment. A tenured music teacher removed not for misconduct but for identity, her case was debated openly, litigated through state courts, and reported nationally… Read More »The Paula Grossman Story – 50+ Years Later Forever in Basking Ridge History - America 250: The Flag Design & Jersey’s Involvement
Views: 634 Mr. Local History finds itself back partnering with a New Jersey iconic business that has been one of the most historic in American History. As we expanded our Gift Shop collection with America 250 flags, it’s no surprise that it’s all being done by the Annin Flag Company, who’s family got their American… Read More »America 250: The Flag Design & Jersey’s Involvement
MLH Loves To See The Public Engaged….. The Latest Comments
From the 1960s at least through the early 80s. Carlstadt, NJ. Corner of Hackensack St + Small St.
Hey according to other sources, and the image you provided, the statue was originally installed at 195 Broadway in 1916,…
Peter Commette was on the 1976 Olympic Sailing team, finished 11. He would have been there in 1980 but the…
A brass monkey was a square plate, otherwise a fun article to read.
Another nomination for women in Basking Ridge who made a difference. Anita Albers founded the Albrook School almost 50 years…
Here’s some info from a local FB page: Posted in You Know Your’re from Basking Ridge FB Group…. Jayna Rydzinski I…
This is fantastic. The Tuskegee airmen have been something in interested in. I have about 5 historical prints of the…
In the summer of 1971 I was 14 years old. From my earliest memories I felt I was really a…
We lived across the street at 262 No Maple (we lived in a converted barn that was part of the…
The Mr. Local History 2025 Holiday Shopping Guide / Magazine
See our quarterly digital magazine. Full of great local Jersey History.
You are absolutely correct. We fixed this a few years ago and not sure how it got back into the…